Back in late 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attributed the increase in statistical city-wide crime to Apple, noting that thieves had a propensity to target folks using iPhones and iPads. As an illustration of the problem, there were 3,890 more Apple product thefts than in 2012 than there were in 2011.

At the time, Mayor Bloomberg's press secretary Marc La Vorgna explained that "if you just took away the jump in Apple," crime in New York City would have been down year-over-year in 2012. Indeed, the number of major crimes reported in 2011 in NYC came in at 104,948 compared to 108.432 in 2012. If you exclude Apple-related thefts from the figures, then the crime rate in 2012 is essentially the same as it was in 2011.

In light of that, a new report from the New York Post details that Apple is now working with the NYPD in an effort to curb iPhone and other Apple related thefts.

The theft of Apple devices is so rampant in New York that a team of cops has been assigned to work with the tech giant to get the stolen gadgets back, The Post has learned.

Every time an Apple device is stolen, detectives attempt to get tracking numbers from the victim or online records.

That number, known as the International Mobile Station Equipment Identity, is then shared with the officers in Police Headquarters who pass it on to Apple.

The California-based company then informs the NYPD of the device’s current location — and it can track it even if it was reregistered with a different wireless provider.

It'll be interesting to see how the initiative affects the 2013 numbers as it pertains to Apple-related thefts.

Remember, though, that the high price of Apple products, coupled with their portability, has long made Apple products a favorite target for criminals. Back in 2005, for example, a New York City teenager made national news when he was killed after refusing to give up his iPod. Steve Jobs subsequently called the victim's father and offered his condolences.

The men spoke for a few minutes.

Calling him by his first name, Mr. Jobs asked how Mr. Rose was doing, he said, and conveyed his sympathies. "He told me that he understood my pain," Mr. Rose said. "He told me if there is anything - anything - anything he could do, to not be afraid to call him. It really lightened me a bit."

Apple product thefts are also an issue in Chicago, where it's unfortunately not uncommon to hear reports of thieves seriously injuring victims during quick mugging attempts on EL (Chicago's elevated train) platforms.

Join the Network World communities on Facebook and LinkedIn to comment on topics that are top of mind.

Yoni Heisler is a technology writer and Mac nerd who's been using Apple products for well over 21 years. He actively covers a wide variety of Apple topics, from legal news and rumors to current events and even Apple related comedy and history.